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Food Safety Officer

Government

Food Safety Officers are statutory inspectors appointed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act), empowered to enter, inspect, and sample any food business operator (FBO) — from a street-food vendor in Dharavi to a multinational FMCG plant in Pune. Their primary instruments are the FSS Act itself, FSSAI Regulations 2011, and Schedule 4 sanitary and hygiene norms. Samples lifted during inspections are sent to NABL-accredited referral laboratories; if the analysis proves the food adulterated, misbranded, or sub-standard, the FSO initiates prosecution under Sections 56–65 of the FSS Act before the designated Adjudicating Officer or Judicial Magistrate. In India, the role sits at FSSAI's HQ (Kotla Road, New Delhi) and six regional offices (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Cochin), or within state Food & Drug Administration (FDA) departments — Maharashtra FDA being the country's most active state regulator. Entry is via FSSAI Central Recruitment or state PSC exams; mid-career growth leads to Senior FSO, Designated Officer, and Joint Director / Deputy Commissioner (FDA) positions under 7th CPC pay scales.